Bicycle pedal assembly

Abstract

A bicycle pedal assembly includes a pedal unit and a cleat that is adapted to be connected fixedly to a shoe. The pedal unit includes a pedal body, and a pair of front and rear retaining members. The cleat includes an insert block confined between front and rear retaining members and spaced apart from the pedal body, and a pedal-engaging block connected removably to the insert block and abutting against the pedal body. The pedal-engaging block is made of a material that is softer than the pedal body.

1 . A bicycle pedal assembly for connecting a shoe to a crank, said bicycle pedal assembly comprising: 
 a pedal unit including 
 a pedal shaft adapted to be connected fixedly to the crank,  
 a pedal body sleeved rotatably on said pedal shaft and having a front pedal portion and a rear pedal portion,  
 two pivot rods;  
 a pair of front and rear retaining members mounted respectively and rotatably on said front and rear pedal portions of said pedal body by said pivot rods, and  
 two resilient members sleeved respectively on said pivot rods so as to bias said front and rear retaining members to rotate in opposite directions;  
   a cleat including 
 an insert block spaced apart from said pedal body and having a first side surface adapted to be connected fixedly to the shoe, a second side surface opposite to said first side surface and facing said pedal body, a front insert portion inserted into a space between said front retaining member and said pedal body, a rear insert portion clamped between said rear retaining member and said pedal body so as to confine said cleat among said pedal body and said front and rear retaining members, and an accommodating groove formed in said second side surface, and  
 a pedal-engaging block connected removably to said insert block and received within said accommodating groove in said insert block, said pedal-engaging block having a planar bottom surface abutting against said pedal body of said pedal unit and being made of a material that is softer than said pedal body.  
   
   
   
       2 . The bicycle pedal assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said front and rear insert portions of said insert block are opposite to each other along a first direction, said accommodating groove in said insert block of said cleat being elongated and extending along a second direction perpendicular to said first direction, said insert block further having two through holes formed therethrough and in spatial communication with said accommodating groove, said accommodating groove having a middle groove portion and two opposite groove ends that are narrower than said middle groove portion, said insert block further having two wall surfaces that define said accommodating groove therebetween, each of said wall surfaces being formed with two shoulders, each of which is defined by said middle groove portion and a respective one of said groove ends, said pedal-engaging block having a middle block portion received fittingly within said middle groove portion of said accommodating groove in said insert block, and two opposite block ends narrower than said middle block portion and received respectively within said groove ends of said accommodating groove in said insert block, said pedal-engaging block further having two opposite side surfaces, and two through holes formed through said pedal-engaging block and aligned respectively with said through holes in said insert block, each of said side surfaces of said pedal-engaging block being formed with two shoulders, each of which is defined by said middle block portion and a respective one of said block ends, said shoulders of said pedal-engaging block abutting respectively against said shoulders of said insert block, said bicycle pedal assembly further comprising two lock bolts, each of which extends through a respective one of said through holes in said pedal-engaging block and a respective one of said through holes in said insert block, said lock bolts being adapted to be connected threadedly to the shoe.  
   
   
       3 . The bicycle pedal assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of said front and rear pedal portions of said pedal body is formed with two fixed pivot members, each of said front and rear retaining members including: 
 two sidewalls disposed rotatably between said pivot members by a corresponding one of said pivot rods;    a confining wall disposed between and formed integrally with said sidewalls; and    a clamping wall disposed between and formed integrally with said sidewalls and opposite to said confining wall;    said front insert portion of said insert block of said cleat being confined between said confining portion of said front retaining member and said pedal body of said pedal unit, said rear insert portion of said insert block being clamped between said clamping wall of said rear retaining member and said pedal body, said clamping wall of said rear retaining member being biased by a corresponding one of said resilient members to press said rear insert portion of said insert block against said pedal body.    
   
   
       4 . The bicycle pedal assembly as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein each of said front and rear retaining members further includes a fixed block formed integrally with one of said sidewalls, said pedal unit further including two adjusting units for adjusting respectively biasing forces of said resilient members, each of said adjusting units including: 
 an adjusting block disposed between said clamping wall and said fixed block of a corresponding one of said front and rear retaining members and having a threaded hole formed therethrough; and    an adjustment bolt extending through said clamping wall and said fixed block of the corresponding one of said front and rear retaining members and engaging said threaded hole in said adjusting block.    
   
   
       5 . The bicycle pedal assembly as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said pedal unit further includes two indicating units, each of which indicates a magnitude of the biasing force of a corresponding one of said resilient members, each of said indicating units including: 
 a slide slot formed through one of said sidewalls of the corresponding one of said front and rear retaining members,    a scale unit indicated on said one of said sidewalls of the corresponding one of said front and rear retaining members and disposed in proximity to said slide slot, and    an indicating element connected fixedly to said adjusting member of a corresponding one of said adjusting units and disposed slidably within said slide slot.